Painted Bizen Ware Sake Cup

This is a colored Bizen sake cup by Yasuhito Abe, an artist who possesses deep insight and an aesthetic sense for antique ceramics, creating one-of-a-kind works through his unique research and firing methods. The sake cup features a beautiful composition that heralds the early arrival of spring, with plum blossoms depicted against a backdrop of Mt. Fuji in red. While the vibrant colors—red, blue, green, white, and gold—are captivating, the clay surface itself is rich, profound, and impressively substantial. Furthermore, the *goma* (ash glaze) scenery is highly expressive; while it conveys a sense of power, a closer look reveals delicately sprinkled *tobi-goma* (splattered ash), clearly indicating that the piece has been carefully fired multiple times. Original signed box (shiho-san, double-layered box)
Diameter 6.7cm × 6.3cm × Height 5.9cm Yasuhito Abe was originally a Western-style painter. He collected pottery as a hobby, but finding contemporary Bizen ware unsatisfying, he began creating ceramics in 1972 to produce pieces that met his own standards. He frequently creates water jars (*mizusashi*), flower vases, flat bottles, bowls, sake bottles, and sake cups. All are shaped on the wheel and finished with a spatula. He places the foundation of his pottery making in the antique Bizen ware of the Momoyama period and is deeply committed to his firing techniques. He also engages in diverse expressive activities, presenting mixed-media works that combine various materials and techniques such as ceramics, lacquer, oil painting, and bronze. He holds solo exhibitions energetically both in Japan and abroad, including in Tokyo, Osaka, New York, and Paris.